Tool for aligning head suspension structures

ABSTRACT

An alignment tool for analyzing head suspension structures to minimize misalignments between a flexure and a load beam of the head suspension. The tool includes a pain of pins that are inserted in apertures of the head suspension structures. That is, alignment tool engages a proximal perimeter edge of a distal alignment aperture on one of the load beam and the flexure and a proximal perimeter edge of a elongated alignment aperture or the other of the load beam and the flexure to provide longitudinal tension between the structures during the attachment of the structures.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional application of pending U.S. pat. application Ser.No. 09/003,605, filed Jan. 7, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,444 andentitled, "Flexure and Load Point Alignment Structure in a HeadSuspension", the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an improved head suspension for use indynamic storage devices and to the manner of constructing such animproved head suspension. In particular, the present invention providesfeatures to head suspension components for efficiently and accuratelyprocessing the components during assembly of the head suspension. Thepresent invention also provides a tool for efficiently and accuratelyprocessing and aligning the head suspension components and for aligningother components to the head suspension.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a dynamic storage device, a rotating disk is employed to storeinformation in small magnetized domains strategically located on thedisk surface. The disk is attached to and rotated by a spindle motormounted to a frame of the disk storage device. A "head slider" (alsocommonly referred to simply as a "slider") having a magnetic read/writehead is positioned in close proximity to the rotating disk to enable thewriting and reading of data to and from the magnetic domains on thedisk. The head slider is supported and properly oriented in relationshipto the disk by a head suspension that provides forces and compliancesnecessary for proper slider operation. As the disk in the storage devicerotates beneath the slider and head suspension, the air above the disksimilarly rotates, thus creating an air bearing which acts with anaerodynamic design of the head slider to create a lift force on the headslider. The lift force is counteracted by the head suspension, thuspositioning the slider at a height and alignment above the disk which isreferred to as the "fly height."

Typical head suspensions include a load beam, a flexure, and a baseplate. The load beam normally includes a mounting region at a proximalend of the load beam for mounting the head suspension to an actuator ofthe disk drive, a rigid region, and a spring region between the mountingregion and the rigid region for providing a spring force to counteractthe aerodynamic lift force acting on the slider described above. Thebase plate is mounted to the mounting region of the load beam tofacilitate the attachment of the head suspension to the actuator. Theflexure is positioned at the distal end of the load beam, and typicallyincludes a gimbal region having a slider mounting surface to which theslider is mounted and thereby supported in read/write orientation withrespect to the rotating disk. The gimbal region is resiliently moveablewith respect to the remainder of the flexure in response to theaerodynamic forces generated by the air bearing.

In one type of head suspension, the flexure is formed as a separatecomponent and further includes a load beam mounting region that isrigidly mounted at the distal end of the load beam using conventionalmeans, such as spot welds. In such a flexure, the gimbal region extendsdistally from the load beam mounting region of the flexure and includesa cantilever beam to which the slider is mounted. A generally sphericaldimple that extends between the load beam and the slider mountingsurface of the flexure is formed in either the load beam or the slidermounting surface of the flexure. The dimple transfers the spring forcegenerated by the spring region of the load beam to the flexure and theslider to counteract the aerodynamic force generated by the air bearingbetween the slider and the rotating disk. In this manner, the dimpleacts as a "load point" between the flexure/slider and the load beam. Theload point dimple also provides clearance between the cantilever beam ofthe flexure and the load beam, and serves as a point about which theslider can gimbal in pitch and roll directions in response tofluctuations in the aerodynamic forces generated by the air bearing.

Electrical interconnection between the head slider and circuitry in thedisk storage device is provided along the length of the head suspension.Conventionally, conductive wires encapsulated in insulating tubes arestrung along the length of the head suspension between the head sliderand the storage device circuitry. Alternatively, an integrated lead headsuspension, such as that described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.5,491,597 to Bennin et al., that includes one or more conductive tracesbonded to the load beam with a dielectric adhesive can be used toprovide electrical interconnection. Such an integrated lead headsuspension may include one or more bonding pads at the distal end of thetraces to which the head slider is attached and that provide electricalinterconnection to terminals on the head slider. The conductive tracecan also be configured to provide sufficient resiliency to allow thehead slider to gimbal in response to the variations in the aerodynamicforces.

As the number and density of magnetic domains on the rotating diskincrease, it becomes increasingly important that the head slider beprecisely aligned over the disk to ensure the proper writing and readingof data to and from the magnetic domains. Moreover, misalignmentsbetween the head slider and the disk could result in the head slider"crashing" into the disk surface as the slider gimbals due to the closeproximity of the head slider to the rotating disk at the slider flyheight.

The position of the head suspension and the head slider, also known asthe static attitude, is calibrated so that when the disk drive is inoperation the head slider assumes an optimal orientation at the flyheight. It is therefore important that the static attitude of the headsuspension be properly established. Toward this end, the flexure must bemounted to the load beam so that misalignments between the flexure andthe load beam are minimized since misalignments between the load beamand flexure may introduce a bias in the static attitude of the headsuspension and the head slider. It is also important that the load pointdimple be properly formed on the head suspension so that it is properlypositioned in relation to the head slider when the head slider ismounted to the head suspension. Misalignments between the load pointdimple and the head slider may cause a torque to be exerted on the headslider, and thus affect the fly height of the head slider and theorientation of the head slider at the fly height. These concerns areemphasized when integrated leads are used to provide electricalinterconnection since the bond pads of the integrated leads (to whichthe head slider is bonded) are directly affected by the positioning ofthe flexure.

To assist in the alignment of the head suspension components and in theformation of head suspension features, the head suspension typicallyincludes reference apertures that are engaged by an alignment tool. Theapertures are longitudinally spaced apart and are formed in the rigidregion of the load beam. In head suspensions that include a separateflexure mounted to the load beam, the flexure includes correspondingapertures formed in the load beam mounting region of the flexure. Thereference apertures in the load beam and the flexure are typicallycircular, and are sized and positioned so as to be substantiallyconcentric when the flexure is mounted to the load beam. In an approachillustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,249 to Aoyagi et al., rather thanbeing circular, a distal aperture in the load beam is elongated andgenerally elliptical. The aperture includes a "v" shaped portion at oneend.

Rigid cylindrical pins on an alignment tool are used to align theindividual head suspension components. The rigid pins are spaced apartan amount equal to the longitudinal spacing between the referenceapertures in the components. The pins are inserted into and engage theapertures in the load beam and flexure, and in this mannerconcentrically align the apertures, and thus the load beam and theflexure, to one another. The components can then be fastened together,as by welding or other known processes.

There are certain deficiencies and shortcomings associated with priorart head suspensions, however. Conventional reference apertures such asthose described above include manufacturing tolerances that affect theinterface between the alignment tool and the head suspension component.The pins on the alignment tools also include manufacturing andpositioning tolerances. These tolerances are cumulative so as to affectthe alignment of individual head suspension components, and affect theforming of head suspension features, such as a load point dimple. Inaddition, when aligning individual head suspension components, themanufacturing tolerances in the apertures of the load beam and theflexure are "stacked" together because the head suspension componentsare engaged by common alignment pins, thus creating additional alignmentproblems. An additional shortcoming is that the alignment pins musttypically be manufactured somewhat undersized so as to still be useablewhen the flexure and load beam apertures overlap each other to create asmaller through-hole for the pins to be inserted in due to manufacturingtolerances and misalignments in the head suspension components.Moreover, because the pins of the alignment tool are spaced apart afixed distance, the pins may not be able to engage the referenceapertures due to the manufacturing tolerances in the apertures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies and shortcomings of theprior art by providing an improved head suspension for use in a dynamicstorage device and for supporting a head slider over a disk surfacewherein features are formed in the head suspension that assist in theefficient and accurate alignment of the head suspension components.

A head suspension in accordance with the present invention comprises aload beam and a flexure. The load beam has a proximal end and a distalend, and further comprises an actuator mounting region at the proximalend, a load region at the distal end of the load beam, a spring regionpositioned distally from the actuator mounting region, and a rigidregion between the spring region and the loading region. The load beamhas a first load beam aperture formed in the load region of the loadbeam. The flexure comprises a gimbal region and a load beam mountingregion, and is mounted at the distal end of the load beam. The flexurehas a first flexure aperture formed in the load beam mounting regionthat is adjacent and coincident with the first load beam aperture whenthe flexure is aligned over the load beam. An elongated alignmentaperture is formed in one of the load beam and the flexure, and aproximal alignment aperture and distal alignment aperture are formed inthe other of the load beam and the flexure. The elongated apertureoverlaps at least a portion of each of the proximal alignment apertureand the distal alignment aperture so that the proximal perimeter edge ofthe elongated alignment aperture encroaches upon the proximal alignmentaperture and the proximal perimeter edge of the distal alignmentaperture encroaches upon the elongated alignment aperture.

The present invention is also directed to a method and apparatus foraligning a load beam and flexure utilizing the characteristic featuresset out above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a head slider in combination with a headsuspension in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view from the top of FIG. 1 of the head suspensionpositioned schematically onto an alignment tool for illustrating thealignment of the flexure to the load beam.

FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view of the head suspension of FIGS. 1 and 2showing the individual head suspension components in greater detail.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the portion of the head suspensionshown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 showing the alignment structure of thehead suspension and its cooperation with alignment pins of the alignmenttool in greater detail.

FIG. 5 is plan view of a second embodiment of a head suspension also inaccordance with the present invention having integrated leads.

FIG. 6 is an exploded plan view of the head suspension of FIG. 5 showingthe individual head suspension components in greater detail.

FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of an alignment tool in accordance withthe present invention used to align head suspension components with itsalignment pins in a neutral state.

FIG. 8 is a side schematic view of the alignment tool of FIG. 7 with thealignment pins in a pre-sprung state for being positioned in aperturesof the head suspension components.

FIG. 9 is a side schematic view of the alignment tool of FIGS. 7 and 8with the alignment pins engaging the apertures of the head suspensioncomponents to align the head suspension components.

FIG. 10 is a top schematic view of a second embodiment of an alignmenttool in accordance with the present invention useful in processing headsuspension components.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view in cross-section of the alignment tool ofFIG. 10 shown taken along line 10--10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a head suspension having structures useful inminimizing misalignments in the head suspension and a method ofmanufacturing such a head suspension. FIG. 1 shows a head suspension 10in accordance with the present invention. Head suspension 10 is used tosupport and properly orient a head slider 14 over a rotating disk (notshown ) in a magnetic disk storage device, as is known in the art. Headsuspension 10 has a longitudinal axis 12, and is comprised of a baseplate 16, a load beam 20, and a flexure 40. Base plate 16 is mounted toa proximal end 22 of load beam 20, and is used to attach head suspension10 to an actuator (not shown) in the disk drive. Slider 14 is mounted toflexure 40, and as the disk in the storage device rotates beneath headslider 14, an air bearing is generated between slider 14 and therotating disk which creates a lift force on head slider 14. This liftforce is counteracted by a spring force generated by the load beam 20 ofhead suspension 10, thereby positioning the slider 14 at an alignmentabove the disk referred to as the "fly height." As described in greaterdetail below, flexure 40 provides compliances necessary to allow headslider 14 to gimbal in response to small variations in the air bearinggenerated by the rotating disk.

Load beam 20 of head suspension 10 has an actuator mounting region 26 atproximal end 22, a load region 28 adjacent to a distal end 24, aresilient spring region 30 positioned adjacent actuator mounting region26, and a rigid region 32 that extends between spring region 30 and loadregion 28. Resilient spring region 30 generates a predetermined springforce that counteracts the lift force of the air bearing acting on headslider 14. Toward this end, spring region 30 can include an aperture 31to control the spring force generated by spring region 30. Rigid region32 transfers the spring force to load region 28 of load beam 20. A loadpoint dimple 34 (shown in FIG. 3) is formed in load region 28, andcontacts flexure 40 to transfer the spring force generated by springregion 30 to flexure 40 and head slider 14. A load point dimple canalternatively be formed in flexure 40 to extend toward and contact loadregion 28 of load beam 20.

In the head suspension shown in FIGS. 1-3, flexure 40 is formed as aseparate component and is mounted to load beam 20 near the distal end24. Flexure 40 includes a gimbal region 42 and a load beam mountingregion 44. Load beam mounting region 44 overlaps and is mounted to aportion of rigid region 32 using conventional means, such as spot welds.Gimbal region 42 of flexure 40 provides the necessary compliances toallow head slider 14 to gimbal in both pitch and roll directions aboutload point dimple 34 in response to fluctuations in the air bearinggenerated by the rotating disk. Toward this end, gimbal region 42includes a cantilever beam 46 having a slider mounting surface 47 towhich head slider 14 is attached. Cantilever beam 46 is attached tocross piece 50, which is connected at each end to first and second arms48a and 48b of flexure 40. Cantilever beam 46 is resiliently movable inboth pitch and roll directions with respect to the remainder of flexure40, and thereby allows head slider 14 to gimbal. Load point dimple 34(when formed in load region 28) contacts the surface opposite the slidermounting surface 47 of cantilever beam 46 to transfer the spring forcegenerated by spring region 30 of load beam 20 to head slider 14, andfurther to provide a point about which head slider 14 and cantileverbeam 46 can gimbal.

Due to the high density of magnetic domains on the disk, and further dueto the close proximity of head slider 14 to the rotating disk at theslider fly height, it is important that head slider 14 be properlyaligned over the disk. Toward this end, it is highly desirable tominimize any misalignments in head suspension 10, particularly withrespect to the alignment of the flexure 40 and the load beam 20. It isalso highly desirable to minimize the misalignment between the headslider 14 and the load point dimple 34 when head slider 14 is mounted tohead suspension 10.

In order to minimize the misalignments in head suspension 10, headsuspension 10 includes a series of apertures formed in the components ofhead suspension 10. Specifically, load beam 20 includes a first loadbeam aperture 36 formed in the rigid region 32 (near the load region 28)of load beam 20. Flexure 40 similarly includes a first flexure aperture52 formed in the load beam mounting region 44 of flexure 40. First loadbeam aperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52 can be the same size andshape, but need not be, and if flexure 40 is properly aligned over loadbeam 20, the first load beam aperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52will be coincident. The proximal portion of first flexure aperture 52can alternatively be slightly oversized as compared to first load beamaperture 36 to minimize material overlap between these apertures and toprovide optimal tolerances at later processing steps. To assist inaligning the flexure 40 and load beam 20, first load beam aperture 36and first flexure aperture 52 can receive and be engaged by a first pin82 (see FIG. 2) of an alignment tool (shown in FIGS. 7-9 and describedin greater detail below) to define a reference datum during the assemblyof head suspension 10.

Additional apertures are formed in flexure 40 and load beam 20 tofurther assist in aligning these head suspension components relative tothe reference datum defined at first load beam aperture 36 and firstflexure aperture 52. Specifically, flexure 40 includes a distal flexureaperture 54 and a proximal flexure aperture 56. The distal flexureaperture 54 is formed proximal of first flexure aperture 52, and theproximal flexure aperture 56 is formed proximal of distal flexureaperture 54. Distal flexure aperture 54 and proximal flexure aperture 56are preferably formed along the longitudinal axis 12 of head suspension10, although other arrangements can be used depending on the particularapplication and its alignment strategy. The first flexure aperture 52and the distal and proximal flexure apertures 54 and 56, respectively,can be formed using conventional techniques, such as etching. Load beam20, on the other hand, includes an elongated alignment aperture 38formed in rigid region 32, preferably also along the longitudinal axis12 of head suspension 10. First load beam aperture 36 and elongated loadbeam aperture 38 can be formed using conventional techniques, such asetching. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, elongated load beamaperture 38 is positioned so that at least portions of distal flexureaperture 54 and proximal flexure aperture 56 are accessible when flexure40 is positioned over load beam 20. In this manner, the proximalperimeter edge 55 of distal flexure aperture 54 is visible andaccessible through the elongated load beam aperture 38, and the proximalperimeter edge 39 of elongated load beam aperture 38 is visible andaccessible through the proximal flexure aperture 56 during the aligningand mounting of flexure 40 to load beam 20. As described in detailbelow, this configuration of distal flexure aperture 54, proximalflexure aperture 56, and elongated load beam aperture 38 allows theflexure 40 and load beam 20 to be engaged by separate pins of analignment tool for independently aligning the flexure 40 and the loadbeam 20.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a first pin 82, a second pin 84, and a thirdpin 86 of an alignment tool (shown in FIGS. 7-9 and described below) areused to align flexure 40 to load beam 20 during the assembly of headsuspension 10. First pin 82 is inserted through first load beam aperture36 and first flexure aperture 52, second pin 84 is inserted throughelongated load beam aperture 38 and distal flexure aperture 54, andthird pin 86 is inserted through elongated load beam aperture 38 andproximal flexure aperture 56. Second pin 84 and third pin 86 are thenlongitudinally relatively displaced with respect to the first pin 82 toengage the flexure 40 and load beam 20. Specifically, when pins 84 and86 are longitudinally relatively displaced with respect to the first pin82, first pin 82 engages the distal end of the first load beam aperture36 and first flexure aperture 52. Because elongated load beam aperture38 is positioned over the proximal end 55 of distal flexure aperture 54,second pin 84 engages the proximal end 55 of distal flexure aperture 54independent of load beam 20. Similarly, because proximal flexureaperture 56 is positioned over the proximal end 39 of elongated loadbeam aperture 38, third pin 86 engages the proximal end 39 of elongatedload beam aperture 38 independent of flexure 40. In other words, thisconfiguration of head suspension apertures allows second pin 84 andthird pin 86 to independently engage and align the flexure 40 and loadbeam 20, respectively, relative to reference datum at first load beamaperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52. Such an alignment processprevents the stacking of manufacturing errors in the head suspensionapertures as is common with traditional head suspensions, andmisalignments between the flexure 40 and load beam 20 thus can beminimized during the assembly of head suspension 10.

The apertures formed in the flexure 40 and load beam 20 are preferablypositioned along the longitudinal axis 12 of head suspension 10. Inaddition, elongated load beam aperture 38 is preferably longitudinallyspaced apart from and in the same plane as the first load beam aperture36, and distal flexure aperture 54 and proximal flexure aperture 56 arepreferably longitudinally spaced apart from and in the same plane as thefirst flexure aperture 52 a distance that is the maximum amountmechanically and structurally possible. Apertures formed in this mannerwill minimize the effect of any manufacturing tolerances in theapertures of load beam 40 and flexure 20 and in the alignment toolduring the alignment of flexure 40 to load beam 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, and as shown in greater detail inFIG. 4, first load beam aperture 36, elongated load beam aperture 38,first flexure aperture 52, distal flexure aperture 54, and proximalflexure aperture 56 further include structure that efficiently minimizestransverse misalignments in the flexure 40 and the load beam 20 duringthe alignment and mounting of flexure 40 to load beam 20. Specifically,as shown in FIG. 3, the proximal perimeter edge 39 of elongated loadbeam aperture 38 and the proximal perimeter edge 55 of distal flexureaperture 54 each include an alignment structure 60a, while the distalends of first load beam aperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52 eachinclude an alignment structure 60b.

As shown in FIG. 4, alignment structure 60a is generally comprised of afirst side 62a and a second side 64a. In the embodiment shown, firstside 62a and second side 64a are substantially linear. Because elongatedload beam aperture 38 and,distal flexure aperture 54 are positioned onlongitudinal axis 12, first side 62a and second side 64a preferablyintersect at points 66a on the longitudinal axis 12 of head suspension10. First side 62a extends from intersection point 66a substantiallydistally along head suspension 10, and at an offset angle α fromlongitudinal axis 12 of head suspension 10. Second side 64a extends fromintersection point 66a also substantially distally along head suspension12, but is angled from longitudinal axis 12 by offset angle α in theopposite direction from that of first side 62a. In this manner, firstside 62a and second side 64a define a "v" shaped alignment structure atthe proximal end 55 of the distal flexure aperture 54 and at theproximal end 39 of the elongated load beam aperture 38.

Alignment structure 60b is formed in each of the distal ends of firstload beam aperture 36 and the first flexure aperture 52. Alignmentstructure 60b can be substantially similar to the alignment structure60a in elongated load beam aperture 38 and distal flexure aperture 54described above. First and second sides 62b and 64b, respectively, ofthe alignment structure 60b in first load beam aperture 36 and firstflexure aperture 52, however, extend proximally from intersection point66b of the alignment structure 60b rather than distally as in structure60a, and are angled by a second angle β from the longitudinal axis 12.In this manner, first side 62b and second side 64b define a "v" shapedalignment structure at the distal end of the first load beam aperture 36and first flexure aperture 52.

First side 62a and second side 64a of structure 60a tangentially engagethe alignment pins 84 and 86 during the assembly of head suspension 10.When pins 84 and 86 are longitudinally displaced from pin 82, pin 82engages alignment structure 60b, while pin 84 engages alignmentstructure 60a in distal flexure aperture 54 and pin 86 engages alignmentstructure 60a in elongated load beam aperture 38. Because theintersection point 66a is coincident with the longitudinal axis 12 ofhead suspension 10, and because sides 62a and 64a of structure 60a areangled from axis 12 by an equal amount, sides 62a and 64a provideopposing transverse forces to alignment pins 84 and 86 as the pinsengage sides 62a and 64a. In this manner, pins 84 and 86 are centered onthe longitudinal axis 12 of head suspension 10. Sides 62b and 64b ofalignment structure 60b similarly provide opposing transverse forces topin 82, and center pin 82 along longitudinal axis 12 of head suspension10. In this manner, the alignment structures 60a and 60b efficientlyminimize the transverse misalignments in flexure 40 and load beam 20during the assembly of head suspension 10.

Offset angle α in alignment structure 60a can range between zero degreesand ninety degrees, and is preferably about forty-five degrees toprovide sufficient transverse forces to second and third pins 84 and 86as they engage sides 62a and 64a of structure 60a. A forty-five degreeangle is also preferred so as to avoid producing excessive forces thatmay damage sides 62a and 64a. Second angle β in alignment structure 60balso ranges between zero degrees and ninety degrees, and is preferablyforty-five degrees. Angle β can also be slightly greater than angle α soas to provide structure that is more easily detected by a visionmeasurement system useful in the manufacturing of head suspension 10.

It is also contemplated that the alignment structures comprise othershapes than v-shapes. It is preferable that the alignment structure havethe ability to self-center the flexure 40 and load beam 20 when relativemovement is provided between pin 82 and pins 84 and 86. The shaped edgesmay be curved, including complex curves, stepped (depending on pindiameters) or the like.

While the head suspension 10 of FIGS. 1-4 shows elongated alignmentaperture 38 formed in load beam 20, and the distal and proximalalignment apertures 54 and 56, respectively, formed in flexure 40, theseapertures can alternatively be formed in the other head suspensioncomponent. For example, an elongated alignment aperture can be formed inthe flexure of a head suspension and the distal and proximal alignmentapertures can be formed in a load beam of a head suspension. Theapertures, as described above, may also be provided to the flexure andload beam in reverse (i.e. distal and proximal alignment aperturesprovided near the distal end of the head suspension component). Inaddition, other configurations for the alignment apertures describedabove can be used (i.e. side-by-side apertures). It is desirable thatthe structure utilized allows the independent aligning of the flexure 40and the load beam 20 with respect to a defined datum.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of a head suspension inaccordance with the present invention having such an alternativeconfiguration of apertures. Many of the features of the secondembodiment are similar to those shown in FIGS. 1-4 and described above,and similar reference numerals preceded by the prefix "1" are used todescribed these features. Head suspension 110 of FIGS. 5 and 6 includesa load beam 120 and flexure 140. Integrated leads 170 are formed onflexure 140 of head suspension 110 to provide electrical interconnectionbetween a head slider and circuitry in the magnetic disk storage devicein which head suspension 110 is mounted. Integrated leads 170 includeone or more conductive traces 171 that provide such electricalinterconnection, and traces 171 can terminate in a plurality of bondpads 172. The head slider can thus be mounted to bond pads 172, and bondpads 172 can be electrically interconnected to terminals on the headslider using conventional techniques, such as ultrasonic welding orsolder balls.

Flexure 140 includes a first flexure aperture 152 similar to that shownin FIGS. 1-4 and described above, and an elongated alignment aperture154 formed proximally of first flexure aperture 152. Load beam 120includes a first load beam aperture 136 similar to that shown in FIGS.1-4 and described above, a distal alignment aperture 138 formedproximally of first load beam aperture 136, and a proximal alignmentaperture 139 formed proximally of distal load beam aperture 138.Elongated flexure aperture 154 overlaps the proximal perimeter end 138aof distal load beam aperture 138, while proximal load beam aperture 139overlaps the proximal perimeter end 155 of elongated flexure aperture154. Accordingly, the proximal perimeter edge 138a of distal load beamaperture 138 is visible and accessible through the elongated flexureaperture 154, while the proximal perimeter edge 155 of elongated flexureaperture 154 is visible and accessible through the proximal load beamaperture 139 when flexure 140 is positioned over load beam 120. In thismanner, first load beam aperture 136 and first flexure aperture 152 canbe engaged by a first pin on an alignment tool to define a referencedatum, while elongated flexure aperture 154 receives and is engaged by asecond pin of the alignment tool independent of the load beam 120, anddistal load beam aperture 138 receives and is engaged by a thirdalignment pin independent of the flexure 140. Similar to the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1-4 and described above, first load beam aperture 136,first flexure aperture 152, distal load beam aperture 138, and elongatedflexure aperture 154 can include alignment structures 160a and 160b thatminimizes transverse misalignments in the head suspension componentsduring the assembly of head suspension 110.

An alignment tool useful in aligning head suspension components in themanner described above is shown in FIGS. 7-9. FIG. 7 schematically showsa top view of an alignment tool 80 having a first pin 82, a second pin84, and a third pin 86, while FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views of alignmenttool 80 showing the alignment of the load beam 20 and flexure 40 ofFIGS. 1-4 and described above. First pin 82 is inserted through andengages first load beam aperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52 (shownin phantom in FIGS. 8 and 9) of head suspension 10. Second pin 84, onthe other hand, is inserted through distal flexure aperture 54 andelongated load beam aperture 38 (shown in phantom in FIGS. 8 and 9), andthird pin 86 is inserted through proximal flexure aperture 56 andelongated load beam aperture 38 (shown in phantom in FIGS. 8 and 9). Asdescribed in detail above, the configuration of elongated load beamaperture 38, distal flexure aperture 54, and proximal flexure aperture56 is such that when pin 84 and pin 86 are displaced away from first pin82, pin 84 independently engages the proximal end 55 of distal flexureaperture 54 and pin 86 independently engages the proximal end 39 ofelongated load beam aperture 38. In this manner, alignment tool 80provides independent tensile forces that align flexure 40 to load beam20 during the assembly of head suspension 10.

First pin 82 is secured to fixed base 88 of alignment tool 80, and isrigid along its length. Second pin 84 includes a base portion 85 and atop portion 89, while third pin 86 includes base portion 87 and topportion 90. The top portions 89 and 90 of second pin 84 and third pin86, respectively, are preferably cylindrical in nature to provide theactual structure for engaging the apertures of head suspension 10 in themanner described above. The base portions 85 and 87 of second pin 84 andthird pin 86, respectively, are preferably securely attached to fixedbase 88, and are preferably rectangular in cross-section and elongatedin a direction transverse to the direction of motion of alignment pins84 and 86. Unlike first pin 82, second pin 84 and third pin 86 areresiliently moveable in the longitudinal direction to assist in thealignment of flexure 40 and load beam 20. Toward this end, base portion85 of second pin 84 includes a spring region 81, while base portion 87of third pin 86 includes a spring region 83. A longitudinal slot 91(shown in phantom) is preferably formed in the base portion 85 and alongitudinal slot 92 (shown in phantom) is formed in the base portion 87to increase the resiliency of spring regions 81 and 83. Spring regions81 and 83 permit the resilient longitudinal deflection of second pin 84and third pin 86, while the transverse elongation of base portions 85and 87 resist transverse deflection of pins 84 and 86 during thealignment of flexure 40 and load beam 20. Resilient pins 84 and 86permit the top pin portions 89 and 90 to securely engage the flexure 40and load beam 20 without damaging these parts.

In a preferred embodiment, first pin 82, second pin 84, and third pin 86are constructed of A2 grade tool steel. Second pin 84 and third pin 86are 0.20 inches wide as measured in a transverse direction, andlongitudinal slots 91 and 92 are 0.15 inches wide in the transversedirection. These and other dimensions and materials of second and thirdpins 84 and 86 and slots 91 and 92 can of course be varied to create thedesired resiliency for second and third pins 84 and 86.

A number of means for providing the displacement of pins 84 and 86, andhence for providing the longitudinal tension forces to flexure 40 andload beam 20, are contemplated. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-9,the second and third pins 84 and 86, respectively, of alignment tool 80are longitudinally displaced relative to first pin 82 by an actuationsystem 70 attached to pins 84 and 86. Actuation system 70 is comprisedof four actuation rods 72, two of which are attached on opposite sidesof second pin 84 and the other two of which are attached to oppositesides of third pin 86. A cross-piece 75 is attached to the ends ofactuation rods 72, and an actuator 74, shown schematically as a springin FIGS. 8 and 9, is attached to cross-piece 75 for longitudinallyactuating the rods 72 and thus deflecting pins 84 and 86. Otherconfigurations of actuation system 70 are contemplated, such as a singleactuation rod 72 attached to both second pin 84 and third pin 86 and anactuator 74 attached to the actuation rod 72. Other actuators, forexample a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a mechanicallinkage, combinations thereof, and the like, can also be used. Withreference to FIGS. 8 and 9, prior to being inserted in the apertures ofhead suspension 10 as described above, second pin 84 and third pin 86are longitudinally displaced toward first pin 82 from a neutral state toa pre-sprung state via actuator 74. First pin 82 is then inserted infirst load beam aperture 36 and first flexure aperture 52, while secondpin 84 is inserted through elongated load beam aperture 38 and distalflexure aperture 54, and third pin 86 is inserted through elongated loadbeam aperture 38 and proximal flexure aperture 56. Actuator 74 is thenreleased, thus releasing pins 84 and 86 from the pre-sprung state.Resilient spring regions 81 and 83 of pins 84 and 86, respectively, urgepins 84 and 86 longitudinally away from first pin 82 and back toward theneutral state. This in turn, brings second pin 84 into engagement withthe proximal end 55 of distal flexure aperture 54 and third pin 86 intoengagement with the proximal end 39 of elongated load beam aperture 38.In this manner, alignment tool 80 provides independent longitudinaltension forces to flexure 40 and load beam 20 to align these headsuspension components during the assembly of head suspension 10. Theflexure 40 can then be mounted to load beam 20 in a conventional manner,such as by welding. To remove tool 80 from head suspension 10, pins 84and 86 can then be displaced back toward first pin 82 and into thepre-sprung state by actuator 74 to release pins 84 and 86. Headsuspension 10 can then be removed from alignment tool 80.

A second means for providing a longitudinal tension force to a headsuspension component is included in a second embodiment of an alignmenttool shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Alignment tool 180 is particularly usefulfor the processing of individual head suspension components, includingprocesses applied after assembly of the load beam and flexure. As withalignment tool 80 of FIGS. 7 and 8, alignment tool 180 includes a firstpin 182 rigidly mounted to a fixed base 188 of alignment tool 180 and aflexible second pin 184. First pin 182 is preferably press-fit in a holein fixed base 188 to enable the efficient removal and replacement of pin182 as necessary. Second pin 184 is mounted to a moveable base 190 thatis operatively positioned adjacent an actuating block 210. Second pin184 is also resiliently moveable at top portion 186 of pin 184 toprevent damaging the head suspension component. Toward this end, secondpin 184 is preferably constructed of M2 grade tool steel, and is 0.13inches in height. Other materials and dimensions can of course be usedto create the desired resiliency in second pin 184. Second pin 184extends through a slot 220 through the fixed base 188 of tool 180, whichlongitudinally guides pin 184 and limits transverse deflections of pin184. Actuating block 210 includes an inclined plane 189, and moveablebase 190 includes a cooperating inclined plane 191 (preferably of thesame slope) adjacent inclined plane 189 of actuating block 210. A spring196 is shown schematically positioned between a surface on the oppositeside of moveable base 190 than inclined plane 191 and any stationaryportion of tool 180. Spring 196 provides a horizontal force to moveablebase 190 that keeps inclined plane 191 engaged with the inclined plane189 of actuating block 210. While alignment tool 180 is shown havingonly first and second pins 182 and 184, respectively, additional pinscan be provided as necessary for engaging apertures in the headsuspension component such as for use in an alignment process asdescribed above.

The top surface of alignment tool 180 is adapted to support a headsuspension component for processing of the head suspension component,and toward this end, tool 180 includes a processing station 200 at thetop surface of the tool. For example, processing station 200 can be usedto form a load point dimple in a load beam or a flexure of a headsuspension, can be used to mount a head slider to the slider receivingsurface of the flexure, or can be used to align individual headsuspension components. A head suspension component, such as a load beam,having reference apertures of the type described above is placed onalignment tool 180 in such a manner that first pin 182 is insertedthrough a first aperture in the load beam to extend above the topsurface of the load beam, while second pin 184 is inserted through asecond aperture in the load beam to extend above a top surface of theload beam. Actuating block 210 is then subjected to an upward verticaldisplacement, such as with a pneumatic cylinder or any other known ordeveloped actuation means, causing inclined plane 189 of actuating block210 to exert a horizontal force on inclined plane 191 of moveable base190. This in turn longitudinally displaces second pin 184 away fromfirst pin 182, and causes the second aperture of the load beam to beengaged by the second pin 184 of tool 180. Second pin 184 can beflexible to maintain the longitudinal force on the load beam withoutdamaging the load beam. Processing of the load beam, such as forming aload point dimple in the load region of the load beam, can then occur atprocessing station 200. After processing is completed, a downwardvertical displacement is applied to actuating block 210, and spring 196exerts an opposing horizontal force on moveable base 190. This in turnreleases pins 182 and 184 from engagement with the apertures of the loadbeam. The head suspension component can then be removed from thealignment tool 180.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An alignment tool for processing a headsuspension component having reference apertures, the alignment toolcomprising:a first pin rigidly mounted to the tool and adapted to engagea first reference aperture in the head suspension component; a secondpin mounted to the alignment tool and spaced apart from the first pin,the second pin comprising a resilient spring region, the second pinbeing moveable with respect to the first pin and adapted to engage asecond reference aperture in the head suspension component; and anactuator adapted to displace the second pin relative to the first pin toengage the first pin with a perimeter edge of the first aperture and toengage the second pin with a perimeter edge of the second aperture toprovide a longitudinal tension force to the head suspension componentduring processing of the component.
 2. The alignment tool of claim 1,further including a third pin having a spring region, the third pinbeing spaced apart from the first pin and being resiliently moveablewith respect to the first pin.
 3. The alignment tool of claim 2, whereinthe actuator includes:a first actuator rod attached at an end to thesecond resilient pin; a second actuator rod attached at an end to thethird resilient pin; and means for horizontally displacing the first andsecond actuator rods to horizontally displace the second resilient pinand the third resilient pin from a neutral state to a pre-sprung state.4. The alignment tool of claim 3, wherein the means for horizontallydisplacing the first and second actuator rods includes a spring.
 5. Thealignment tool of claim 4, wherein:the first pin is rigidly secured to afixed base; and the actuator includes a moveable base to which thesecond pin is attached and an actuating block having an inclined plane,the moveable base having a corresponding inclined plane adjacent and incontact with the inclined plane of the actuating block, the inclinedplane of the moveable base engaging the inclined plane of the actuatingblock as the actuating block is vertically displaced to move themoveable base in a horizontal direction and to cause the first andsecond pins to engage and align the head suspension components.